Gareth Maybin returned home from South Africa for a Christmas break to reflect on his helter-skelter finish to a memorable 2008.

The 28-year-old Ulsterman stunned pundits by coming within inches of claiming a European Tour win in only his fourth start on the full Tour. Maybin's birdie putt in a play-off for the South African Open title at Pearl Valley rolled narrowly wide of the hole, leaving Richard Sterne to tap in his putt for a victory on home soil.

Maybin can take consolation from the four events he has played in Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa (two), and the €144,290 earned in the Race to Dubai.

"It's been a great start to the season for me. The last two weeks have been pretty good. I'm looking forward to Christmas and then to the New Year.

"Obviously I just came up a little bit short on the last hole, but all in all, I'm very, very happy with myself and the way I held up," he said.

Maybin is among a remarkable number of six Ulster golfers who will compete this season and he joins Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Michael Hoey and fellow Tour rookie Jonathan Caldwell.

It means that, along with triple Major winner Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy, Ireland boasts 11 players on the 2009 European Tour. That's more than those players representing Scotland, Wales, France, Australia or South Africa.

"I'm looking forward so much to teeing up in the tournaments I've watched most on TV, like Loch Lomond, Irish Open, French Open, Munich and big events like that," Maybin said.

"I had only played two tournaments on the main Tour before earning my card and though I am a bit older than some of the fellows starting out, this is where I always wanted to be.

"Winning on Tour is my ambition. I hope I get another chance soon. I know that this first year I am going to have to do a lot of travelling but I'm looking forward to playing upwards of 28 or 29 events in my first full season," he said.